A typical coffee maker is comprised of a chamber to hold water, a heating unit to heat the water, a filter assembly that holds coffee, a passageway to pass water from the chamber to the filter, and a container to hold a hot beverage that passes through the filter. This device is primarily used to make larger quantities of a coffee beverage, so is not practical for brewing small quantities of coffee. This device is also difficult to clean and can be time-consuming.
Other coffee makers are designed to make small quantities of coffee One example of a brewing device for small quantities of coffee is shown in Welker, U.S. Pat. NO. 4,721,835. Welker includes a cup that holds coffee grounds and water, a lid with a screen to filter a coffee beverage as it is poured from the cup, and a tube extending above the surface of the lid to allow steam to vent during the heating process. The heating of the water takes place in a microwave.
Another example of a brewing device for small quantities of coffee, Cox, U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,103, has a frame with a handle and a porous pouch to hold coffee. In Cox, the frame is inserted into a cup of hot water and stirred within the cup to force the water through the pouch of coffee and is removed after the coffee beverage has been made As a result, the brewing process takes place in the single cup.
Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,475, Kataoka brews coffee in a single cup. A filter assembly attaches to the top of a cup and allows hot water to pass through a filter. The Kataoka filter assembly is then removed for consumption of a coffee beverage.
Similarly, in the present invention a freshly brewed beverage is made by pouring hot water through a filter into a cup, however unlike the prior art, the present device does not have to be removed for consumption of the beverage. The device has a drinking opening temporarily covered by a frangible tab. As a result, not only does the device attached to the top of the cup act as a brewing device, but it also acts as a lid to prevent spillage and retain heat.